Bensonhurst Brooklyn once primarily a Jewish and Italian neighborhood, is now an ethnically diverse residential. neighborhood. It is about 45 minutes from Manhattan and offers lots of great apartment rental deals. Bensonhurst has long been stereotyped as a mafia haven. In 1989 a believed federal drug enforcement agent was shot to death while sitting in a parked car. To further it's stereotyped reputation, Bensonhurst was featured in the film Out For Justice as the neighborhood which the notorious gangsters called home. In reality, Bensonhurst is a great neighborhood and often referred to by it's residents as one of the authentic neighborhoods. Bensonhurst natives are always proud of their heritage.